


Little Red Corvette

by Calesvol



Category: Transformers (Bay Movies), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Accidental Baby Acquisition, F/M, Family Fluff, Meet the Family, Mutual Pining, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-10
Updated: 2019-01-13
Packaged: 2019-10-07 22:26:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17374382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Calesvol/pseuds/Calesvol
Summary: It’s been almost a full year since Charlie and Bumblebee have seen each other. This isn’t how they expected it would go.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I'll admit, Red's conception was a complete mish-mash of past origins for Cybertonians, so it's likely botched here. Sorry for all you lore sticklers! But...I could also care less, just FYI.

Warning(s): G, none

* * *

 

**_ Brighton Falls, San Francisco, California _ **

“All it takes is a spark...”

Ten months. It’d been ten months since the day it’d all happened, and sometimes she still couldn’t believe it’d transpired at all. Things had become different anymore. Her room was canvassed in boxes and bins of her things that were either going to storage, or to her new apartment she’d be moving into that was part of the complex she’d be moving into before she started community college. It was still hard to believe it’d been since then. 

How much her heart ached with how badly she missed him. 

At least she wasn’t totally alone. Memo and she had become best friends, Charlie reflected after kicking off the sheets and trudging her way to her bathroom, Walkman clipped to her waist with Prince’s “Little Red Corvette” playing in the background. Volumed low in case her mother wanted something of her. They’d become close since the incident with the Decepticons and Sector Seven. And like clockwork, they’d be carpooling together in her Corvette and to the boardwalk fairground at Brighton Falls. Just a few more weeks, and it’d be all over. 

After changing into her uniform and grabbing a pop-tart she’d nonchalantly placed in the toaster, she went into the garage for the quietest hour of the morning: with Otis sleeping in because of summer break and her mom and stepfather already having commuted to work, she didn’t have much else to truly worry about. That gave her peace to just fiddle around with her car.

“Alright, Dr. Charlie’s in the house. Let’s see what you’ve been up to, Mr. Little Red Corvette,” Charlie teased as she entered the garage, used to talking to it even before Bee had come along. She ambled towards it and hopped over the car door and into the driver’s seat, giving a perfunctory swipe at the dash that had accumulated some dust. “Hm, have you been remembering to keep up with your personal hygiene, sir? That  _ is _ pretty important.”

Fishing for the car keys affixed to a key-chain and tassel of feathers, she trained it on the ignition but instead received a sharp jolt and a visible spark that caused her to flinch back. “Ow!” she gasped, dropping the keys reflexively and sucking on her finger that stung, hissing between her teeth. “What heck was that for?”

Though, the note of betrayal her voice carried didn’t last long as she instead was resigned to mute shock as an achingly familiar whirring of parts and the clicking and clangor of transformation and emanated and Charlie found herself on the floor as whatever this was carefully deposited her there. 

“Hi mom!”

Charlie could only stare in mute shock as a Transformer itself--or, himself?--squatted before her and gave a cheery wave. Made of cutting angles and with mechanical, angelic wings framing him, replete with maroon red armor plating and bright, orange oculars, there was no way she could mistake this being for anything other than what it was. 

This was a Transformer. And he was...calling her mom?

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold the phone! Slow down, please!” came Charlie’s distressed plea as she held her hands out placatingly. “Hang on,  ** mom ** ? How did this happen? You can’t--I’ve been working on... _ you _ , for years! If you were a Transformer all along, why didn’t we...”

The Transformer’s orange gaze rolled around his sockets as he considered an answer. Sitting down and propping his legs up, hands tapping his armored kneecaps, it made Charlie’s head swim as to who that reminded her of. “It’s probably because one of the parts you used was one of the Allspark fragments. That, and dad probably helped when he was here, too.”

Charlie’s face went completely pale. ”... _ Dad _ ?” she squeaked, voice uncharacteristically pitched. She swallowed thickly, a slow flush beginning to burn its way on her cheeks before the Transformer nodded enthusiastically. 

“Let’s call him!” There was a burst of static that Charlie recognized as a transmission being broadcast, a bright sting of fear and adrenaline causing her to tremble somewhat. When the brief reception received a small blurb she recognized as Bumblebee’s disjointed voice asking, “Hello?” while the Transformer lit up excitedly. “Hi da--“

Charlie rushed over to the Transformer, halfway scrambled up his knee as she vehemently mouthed for him to cut the transmission, the mecha staring at her in bemusement before it registered and the crackle of Bee’s voice prompted another, “Hello?” before, with an utterly and heartbreakingly crestfallen expression, did he finally cut the feed and Charlie practically slumped to the ground in relief, heart hammering in her chest. 

”...Why don’t you want dad to talk to me? Are you ashamed of me?” That hit Charlie in the heart like a jackhammer as she felt guilt tighten in her throat, swallowing down a closing throat as she gingerly reached a hand to cup the Transformer’s cheek, careful not to let metal cut into her hand. 

His head lifted somewhat, looking at her hopefully. “No, that’s not it at all. It’s just... I haven’t spoken to Bee in almost a year. I--I don’t even know what he’s doing, or--if he was in the middle of something important. ...Your, um,  _ dad’s _ , he’s... Fighting the Decepticons. You know who those are, right?” Sighing heavily, she brought their brows together. Mom, huh? Cars were always considered someone’s baby. “The point is, we might have to go. Somewhere where you can be safe. Where we can stick it out and make sure no Decepticons heard you.”

After all, upon closer inspection, she didn’t see an emblem of the Autobots on him. Nor of the Decepticons. Which, while good, meant he was more or less “unclaimed” by either side and impressionable. Not that she was eager to see him embroiled in it. After all, if she was his mom, didn’t that make her responsible to protect her son?

Withdrawing from the embrace a little with a sigh, she smiled reassuringly at him. “Alright, first of all,” she began officiously, extricating herself and bouncing to the ground on the balls of her feet, “we need a name for you. Second, I’ve got some calls to make.”

Without much subtly, the Transformer began paying a dim rendition of Prince’s “Little Red Corvette” on his radio, feigning obliviousness. Charlie laughed. “Alright, how about Little Red?”

“Yeah, Little Red, Little Red!” the Transformer whooped, very satisfied with his moniker. 

Charlie couldn’t help but smile fondly. “Alright, you just sit tight. Uh, mom’s gonna make some calls, alright? We’re gonna play hooky this weekend.”

“Okie-dokie, mom!”

* * *

 

**_ Outer city limits, Las Vegas, Nevada _ **

Life had settled into a kind of glad monotony for the Autobots in the past several months. With the American government giving them asylum and anonymity on conditions of commerce in the form of the knowledge they possessed, they worked synergistically in a way that symbiotically benefited one another without raising the possibility of putting weapons in the wrong hands, or their safety to be compromised. 

It was tedious at times, but compared to the chaos they’d escaped on Cybertron, this was practically nothing. And if peace meant the luxury of these moments, then he’d be happy to have an infinite amount more. 

Maybe it was childish to say so, even ungrateful--but it wasn’t perfect. There was someone he desperately missed. Someone who had given him his spark, and the best part of humanity he could’ve been so lucky to make first contact with.

Maybe it was a good thing she hadn’t known what that meant to a Transformer. It made farewell a little easier, if bittersweet. 

Even if he’d give anything to have Charlie Watson back by his side. 

However, the morning’s patrol was interrupted by a burst of static, Bumblebee starting from the place he’d been standing sentinel on, a bluff overlooking bleached white salt flats shimmering with mirages and heat in the high noon sun. Another burst of static, then a garbled, “ _ Hi da-- _ ” and someone hissing at the voice to cease talking. 

Charlie. 

Sparks of both deep affection rumbled through the Autobot’s core before being replaced by a tight constriction of anxiety. Behind him, he could hear the revving of a truck’s engine before Optimus transformed into himself and assessed the younger Autobot sagely. “That signal isn’t one of ours, Bee.”

Bumblebee nodded gravely. “It’s not one of the Decepticons, either,” he said in his tumult of tones, each voice portraying the worry for Charlie that was proliferating his being. 

“We can’t know that for sure, Bee. Even if we have the planet Earth under our guard, we can only do so much. Even I don’t understand how a Transformer slipped through the cracks. Or how it traced on to your signal,” Optimus reasoned, folding his arms thoughtfully. On the backdrop of the blanched desert, they stood out sorely. “But, it’s a potential threat nevertheless. One we can’t afford to allow to pose a risk to the humans. Have you managed to track its signal, Bumblebee?”

“Hold on,” the lieutenant said, eyes closing as his UI engaged and a virtual spectrum arose, scrying through the maps they’d made of the earth. Though, once he honed on the signal, Bumblebee’s shoulders sagged in visible disbelief. ”...Brighton Falls. It says it’s coming from Brighton Falls.” The disbelief was palpable, that clout of worry only seeming to flourish.

“Scout ahead for us, Bee. You know what to do.”

He didn’t need another word of encouragement more as he transformed into his signature yellow Camaro and sped off with engines revving at considerably high speeds. 

 


	2. Chapter 2

Warning(s): G, none

* * *

“Wait, so let me get this straight: Bee’s been gone for ten months, and now you have the autobot equivalent of a military brat?”

Charlie blinked in disbelief at Agent Burns, blushing darkly when he phrased it that way. She hadn’t thought she’d be back at McKinnon Air Force Base, if ever due to the partially bad memories made here, but it was the only place she could think of that could temporary house Little Red safely while she worked through just what she’d have to do to make this all work. 

They peered in unison over the railing on the catwalk that encompassed the combined armory and garage, Little Red himself down below merrily waving his hand like a baton to the crispy strains of Glenn Miller’s ‘In the Mood’. Ron would definitely be able to appreciate the Bot’s choice in music, that was for sure. James himself quirked a brow, hand on his hip with the other leaned on the railing. 

“I...guess?” she agreed uncertainly, smiling sheepishly up at the man. “Just...can we keep him safe here, for now? I really don’t want a repeat of last time.”

“Yeah, no kidding, kid,” Burns agreed resolutely, casting a pointed look at her. “You know, you’re gonna have to tell the Autobots eventually. And that includes the kid’s baby daddy.”

“Do you really have to phrase it like that? I mean...it’s not like we did anything!” Charlie protested, finding it harder and harder to get used to the idea. Even if she was protective of Red. So, in a way, Burns was right. That didn’t make it any less awkward to hear, though!

“Well, whatever you did checked off everything on the list in their culture.” Glancing at Charlie and her fuming sense of mortification, he patted the brunette’s shoulder. “Just...sit tight, kid. I’ll get us some coffee while we deal with this new headache.” Catching Red’s gaze, the Transformer enthusiastically waved at the man. “Why don’t you spend some time with your kid? You know, bond a little?”

At Charlie’s audible huff, James chuckled and the young woman glared daggers into his retreating back. He was right, though. For better or worse, he was her son and they still had the issue of telling Bee even if the notion made her feel tense.

‘Hi mom!” Red chirped in greeting, happily twitching along to the rhythm of Louis Armstrong’s jazz numbers. At least it was better than droning silence. “Are we going to see dad soon?”

It hurt how much he reminded her of Bee. That alone made her heart smart. God, she really missed him, didn’t she? “Mom? Why do you look so sad? Did I say something bad?” Red queried anxiously, earning a startled look.

Unable to help herself, Charlie seized Red’s neck in a hug. She shook her head vehemently. “No, you didn’t. You’ve done nothing bad, alright? And you never will.” At that, Red embraced her back and it was stark how different the two Transformers were: Bee had a scent like stardust and ozone and evaporating rain on blacktop. Red smelled of motor oil and the ocean breeze. He really was of her, wasn’t he? 

It made the prospect of a reunion all the more of a twist in the gut.

Their warm embrace was interrupted by Red suddenly shuddering tensely, parts rattling. “Mom, there’s something bad coming. Mom, can we go?” Red whined desperately, titian gaze wide and worried. 

Charlie touched his cheek in concern. “Red, what do you mean?”

“The signal I-I sent out, I don’t think it was him! It was probably someone who sounded like him a-and--Mom, I’m scared! It’s coming! I don’t wanna be taken away!” 

“Red, no one’s taking you away, but-- Alright, we’ll go. We’ll go where they can’t find us, okay? I promise.” She gave a wan smile of reassurance, Little Red nodding shakily and leaving Charlie to open the giant garage door while leaving the Transformer to transform. 

Once it was fully opened, the pair sped off and into the unknown.

* * *

 

The hours seemed to pass like minutes Bumblebee was speeding down Nevada’s highways so dazedly fast. Thankfully only encountering the odd passersby that was given little reaction time in seeing a speeding Camaro drive blisteringly fast past them and with little regard. While likely wondering what those drivers had seen, the Autobot was too otherwise preoccupied. 

The thought alone of Charlie possibly being in danger because of vengeful Decepticons always had braced Bumblebee with a lodge of concern, constantly wondering how she was doing--even making some covert drive-bys in Brighton Falls disguised as various different, yellowed cars to ascertain this for himself. 

Making sure the girl who had his spark was still alive to have it. 

Seeing the Golden Gate Bridge in all its firetruck red glory came as a crippling relief to the Autobot upon sighting it, slowing down considerably and tinting his windows enough so that no one would see inside of the car’s cab and question it. Tracing the signal, it diverted from the neighborhood Charlie lived and what’s more, he could sense something sentient sharing the rogue Transformer. 

Or rather, someone. 

This incited truer panic in Bumblebee as he realized they were speeding down a lonely stretch of road, someplace idyllic and along the coastline, but also extremely isolated and strategically sound to where no one could find her if harm befell her. 

He didn’t have a second to lose. 

* * *

 

“Wow, this place is so much prettier when there aren’t a ton of people here.” Winds scoured the cliff-side where Little Red and Charlie stood admiring the ocean throwing itself in whitewashed waves against stone. Charlie couldn’t help but be in awe of the might of the Pacific, marveling at it silently and even Red seemed speechless. 

That was until Red sensed something was wrong. 

“Mom, it’s coming. Please get behind me.” Charlie jumped when she heard the clangor of his arm transfiguring into an enormous cannon that dwarfed even Bee’s, a black visor blurring his orange optics despite how Red wasn’t much larger than Bumblebee. 

“Wait, who?” 

Before she could stop him, Red grew uncharacteristically quiet from his usual, upbeat self and fired two warning shots on the road, flinching at the wide radius of scarlet electricity that crackled on the roadside while the telltale screeching of tires swerving the epicenters of the blasts made Charlie’s face go white again. 

“Mom, get down!” Charlie didn’t have time to react again as Red moved her behind him with his free hand, genuflecting to disperse the kickback of his weapon while Charlie squatted and tucked her head in even while a familiar voice sounded and summoned that ache all over again. 

“Who are you? Identify yourself!” was called in myriad tones and jumping dialects, the audible and wavering radiation of Bee’s own arm cannon manifesting into place. 

“Shouldn’t I ask you the same thing?” Red spat back, keeping his firearm steady. “I’m just trying to keep my mom safe!” 

When Charlie peeked through the gaps in Red’s guard, she saw Bumblebee’s own weapon lower in disbelief. When she gingerly stepped out from Red’s protection and into the stalemate, the Autobot’s visor retracted and his antennae perked hopefully at the sight of her. 

That was until Little Red snatched her by one of his arms and held her protectively to his chest, cannon roaring to threatening life again and trained on Bee while the Autobot mirrored the motion reflectively. 

“Red, put me down! Bee, it’s okay! He’s not with them!” Charlie cried out in protest, dangling awkwardly off the ground while flailing her legs a little. 

“I’m not, but what about him?” Red shouted at Bumblebee, not lowering his weapon in the slightest. “How do we know we can trust him?”

Charlie’s head hung, but Bumblebee himself picked up the slack. “I’m an Autobot, not one of the Decepticons. And...Charlie’s my friend.” Those bright blue orbs honed on Charlie, the brunette lifting her gaze and looking hopefully towards Bumblebee. “My designation is B-127, or...Bumblebee. It’s the name Charlie gave me.”

Now it was Little Red’s turn to be shocked. His arm disengaged and resigned itself to its proper form, lowering Charlie carefully to the ground in tandem. “Wait, so--you’re my dad?” 

”...Dad?” Bee uttered a soft, uncertain chirp. 

Red only persisted while Charlie grew more and more mortified, wishing a hole would just swallow her up. “Yeah,” Red continued with a vigorous nod. “I think when she and gramps were fixing me up, some of the Allspark became mixed up. You know, when parts of it fell to Earth long time ago? It transformed me, but nothing really happened. Not until you came along, dad. Your spark made me come to life.”

“I’m...a dad? And Charlie’s...” Bee’s antennae drooped, a hand holding his face as though that revelation would start leaking from the mad notion of it. 

Well, that was one way of reuniting. Charlie folded her arms and gave Red a pleading look. “Hey Red, you mind if me and Bee talk alone for a bit? We won’t be long, promise.” Red nodded without a second thought, transforming into the familiar red corvette that made Bee balk in recognition of, rolling away to wait at the base of the hill. It had been his unofficial “roommate” last year, after all.

Once Little Red was well out of earshot, Charlie sucked in a breath and begun spieling. “Bee, look--I’m really sorry, I would’ve told you, but--I wasn’t sure how you’d take it. I mean, you’re one of my best friends and coming back to this--” she trailed off, glancing down the hill where Red was waiting, the din of muffled swing jazz able to heard from where they were. ”...You’re one of my closest friends. I don’t want things to be weird between us because of it.”

What she said was completely reasonable, but every word felt like a punch in the gut to Bee. Even if she didn’t understand, while there were many ways for Cybertonians to be made, the method that seemed apparent to Little Red’s making required love to work. 

And not just the kind of love between friends. That wouldn’t be nearly enough. 

Staring blankly at the horizon, Bumblebee did his damnest to remain stoic, it felt as though someone had poured rust at his core and told him to live with it despite how much it hurt. His antennae tucked sadly against his carapace, trying to avert Charlie’s gaze so she couldn’t see how crushed he was. How completely devastated he felt. 

Even though he should be happy. She said he was one of his closest friends, and that should have been enough. Friends could still love one another, after all. And he knew the others would be thrilled. Creating offspring was a painfully rare feat, and with the Autobots’ numbers in freefall as much as they’d been since the civil war had begun, Red’s addition to their ranks would be a boon. Optimus had been like a father to him and would be overjoyed to have new student to take under his wing. Especially one of the first to be born of Earth.

Yet, it’d been hard not to fall in love with Charlie. Not after how far she’d gone to protect, befriend, and fight for his cause and had expected nothing in return. 

Bee shook his head slowly. “Yeah, you’re right. I don’t think things will be weird; not any weirder considering the circumstances we met in.” That was met with a smile and laugh from Charlie, making his core jolt with affection for her. “We’ll make it through this, too. Even if we have to wing it.”

Charlie pocketed her hands in her short-sleeved jacket, smiling appreciatively of the view. “Yeah, I know we will,” she said, so full of light and confidence. “Anyways, wanna head back to the base? Burns promised me a cup of Joe and he’s supposed to deliver. Also, I call shotgun!”

He wished he could accept this as easily as she did. But, Bee couldn’t. Not now, not ever. 

 


	3. Chapter 3

Warning(s): G, none

* * *

Bumblebee led their trio in near silence as he radioed ahead to Optimus to report that the Cybertonian found wasn’t a threat. Unaffiliated with either side, even though the reality of Little Red being his unexpected offspring brought a congratulatory tone to Prime’s voice. One swollen with a paternal kind of pride, exactly what most of the Autobots saw Optimus as. Even if he didn’t dwell on it, he knew the older Autobot would have words for Bee, those likely proud.

Words he didn’t want to hear if it meant Charlie would be around. It’d hurt too much knowing he ultimately would’ve wished for Charlie to be there, too but not as a friend. 

As Little Red’s mother and his love. 

The base’s enormous garage gate steadily opened to an annoyed Burns, but the look subsided when he caught sight of Bee’s spoilers as they rolled through and parked beneath the catwalk that hung over them like shade. 

The door eased shut with a massive, hollow slam. Charlie jumped while the two Transformers reverted to their primary forms. Charlie couldn’t help but laugh when Red engulfed Bee in a jubilant hug, something the Autobot was too happy to return. Regardless, he’d always be proud of his Terran progeny. Little Red was part of their family now. 

“Wait, you mean I’m gonna meet Optimus? This is so cool! Mom, have you met Optimus before?” Red chattered cheerfully, sitting on the ground with his knees gathered to his chest, eagerly receptive. 

Charlie brought herself to perch on Red’s kneecap where it was the most comfortable. “Not really. I saw a recording of him, though. Does that count?” she supplied with a smile, even if he did seem slightly disappointed. 

“He’ll be coming soon. Optimus wants to meet you personally, Red.” Bumblebee sat nearby, occasionally stealing looks at Charlie. Even though Red was too oblivious to it, Charlie noticed and shyly averted her own. She knew. Something was going on. 

“Watson! You mind telling me the next time you plan on disappearing on me like that? I had a madhouse on my hands when you just up and left like that! Nevermind when you just phoned in like that.” James Burns stepped down the rungs of the metal stair flanking several caches of weaponry, two cups of coffee in hand. “And, uh, you two mind keeping any conflict off civilian roads? We almost had witnesses. What was going on out there, anyways.”

“Mistaken identity, Agent Burns. We both thought the other was a Decepticon, sir. It won’t happen again,” Bumblebee answered with a nod, the man not seeming to notice whatever was stewing between them. 

“Uh, Mr. Agent Burns, sir?” The man regarded the red Transformer evenly when he was addressed. “Would you mind if maybe I waited for the other Autobots outside? I promise I won’t do anything bad.”

James sighed profusely. “Ask your mom,” he said flippantly, handing off the promised coffee to Charlie who sipped from it gratefully. 

“Sure, go ahead. We’ll meet you outside in a sec.” She took pause, relishing in the way the warm styrofoam warmed her hands. “Um, Mr. Burns, would you maybe...?”

He nodded his head exaggerated, open-mouthed in assent. “Oh, right. Baby momma and baby daddy talk time? Gotcha.” He flashed her a puckish thumbs-up, Charlie gaping indignantly at him before the pair disappeared from the armory, egress shut behind them that caused a shiver to slide down Charlie’s spine. 

Out of the frying pan, into the oven. 

“As if this couldn’t be any more awkward, of course he has to hit home!’ Charlie fumed under her breath, back still to Bee until the shifting of mechanized joints caused another tremor of dread to flit through her. She tried to swallow it down, to focus on her coffee while thinking of something to say. 

She never got to finish her coffee. In fact, it wound up upset, dropped and forgotten on the concrete. 

“Bee.” It was all the brunette could think of saying when Bumblebee engulfed her in an embrace, just like they used to before, except--this was far more charged. Loaded with sentiments neither had gotten the chance to share. “Shhh, it’s alright, Bee. I’m alright.”

“I can’t do it. I can’t just leave things at friends, Charlie.” 

There it was: that jackhammer feeling again. Her heart racing like the pistons of a race car. Those feelings she thought she could stifle under the genuine friendship they had, but--it wasn’t enough. The ache she’d felt for him for that near year, that emptiness in her heart she’d tried to fill with tinkering, taking a side job at her Uncle’s place--it hadn’t been enough. Not when the hole in her heart had been shaped like him. 

“It’s okay, Bee. I can’t either,” came Charlie’s teary admission, hiccuping on the word and letting her throat close and her eyes shine mistily. 

“You’ll always be in my Spark, Charlie.” Bumblebee nuzzled into her hair, and Charlie did too. 

She smiled a heartfelt smile. “I guess that’s how you say it on Cybertron, huh? Because here,” she swallowed thickly, leaning on where only he could hear, “we say, I love you. I love you, Bee.”

Perceptibly, she could feel Bumblebee rumble contently, like a jungle cat. She pulled back just enough to guide her lips to kiss where his mouth would be, sagging contently into it. He tasted like stardust, like the ether and moonlight. Cool upon the metallic guard of his mouth, gasping for breath when Bumblebee craned into it. Warm air puffed from the grate covering where his mouth would be like breath. Body flush against his, they practically ready to tip over.

That was a game of seven minutes in heaven she wished could happen, as that seemed to be too long.

“Hey, get a garage you two!” James barked as the ingress was wrenched open by none other than Red with the man leading the way.

The young Transformer gleefully sang behind James, “Mom and dad sittin’ in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g!” 

That caused the pair to startle badly Charlie dropped from Bumblebee’s arms while the other fell flat on his rear with a loud clang, the brunette rolling comically away like a tumbleweed in the desert. “By the way, Optimus is here,” Red announced gleefully, snickering at their consternation. 

“Oh, you’re so grounded after this!” Charlie hissed through her teeth, badly hiding her laughter. “I’ll play...uh,  _ Tiny Tim _ in the garage 24/7! See how you’ll like that!” To her delight, Red wailed in comical despair. 

“I think I’m with mom on this one,” Bumblebee agreed as he stood up with a soft groan, standing beside Charlie while the young woman grinned in catty triumph. While they concluded their antics, James regarded them expectantly.

“Shape up, guys. Boss man is here.”

As if on cue, the garage doors were opened fully and in the base’s front court did an uncommonly large, bright red semi-truck cab wheel towards the front before stopping short of the garage proper, the four of them exiting hastily while Charlie watched in total awe as that same truck shifted into the largest Transformer she’d ever seen in her life. 

“Holy shit,” she marveled, completely dumbstruck by the majestic autobot. “I, uh--Mr. Optimus Prime. I’m...Charlie Watson. Bee’s...” They were beyond friends. Girlfriend? ”...compatriot,” she finished neutrally, just to err towards the side of caution. Optimus genuflected on one knee before her, a flush traveling down her neck at the sudden gesture she didn’t know how to reciprocate. 

Bee’s hand on her back steadied her. 

Rising up from his respectful bow, he finally greeted: “You have my thanks, Charlie Watson. Without you and the understanding of your fellow humans, I feared for the state of B-217. Or, Bumblebee. He has long been a treasured friend and brother-in-arms among the Autobots, and I cannot express the fullest gratitude for the deeds you’ve exacted for us.”

Charlie was taken aback by that, mollified into complete silence. Her wide eyes ceased soon, smiling partily at the statuesque Autobot. “Sir, I can’t thank you enough, but--I’m just one person. I’m not an army, or really that good at things beyond diving or repair. And...I think the one you should be thanking is Bee. He’s the guy who saved the world. We’d be goners without him.”

“Aw, come on, mom! Stop being so modest!” Red whined out of the blue, a reproachful look from Burns hardly enough to stop the cocksure Transformer. “Sorry, Sir. I’m kinda new around here. I’m Red!” Red thrust out a hand for Optimus to shake, the larger bot regarding it in stoic bemusement. “Don’t shake, huh? Well, I am a Terran. Can’t be helped!” 

“Hey, uh, Red, you probably shouldn’t--” Bee warned pensively, gaze flickering between him and Optimus. 

Though, instead of indignation, ruch chuckles like distant thunder rumbled from Prime’s chest. “As I am honored to meet you as well, Little Red. Or is there another name I should know you by?”

Red chirped at the chance for consideration. “Weeeeell, now that you mention it, I was built off of a ’69 Corvette, so... How about Stingray? Fits with the family, doesn’t it? Stingray and Bumblebee! Like it, pops?”

Rising to stand, Optimus stood before Stingray and placed a hand on the bot’s shoulder. “Stingray, I believe it might be too soon to yet to ask this, yet--for a Cybertonian to be born so far from our home planet...it instills hope. Hope I wish to sow among our brethren in your fatherland. If you’d be willing, we’d be honored to consider you among the Autobots and our cause.”

Stingray flashed a hopeful look towards Charlie and Bumblebee, eagerly expectant.

“Ask your mother,” Bumblebee shrugged with a click and chirps reminiscent of laughter. 

Charie elbowed him in the knee. “Hey, you’re the soldier around here! Ask your father.”

“Mooooom, daaaaaad,  _ come onnnnn _ !” 

Charlie burst into laughter. “Alright, but homework has to be done before you do any Autobot stuff!” She smiled warmly when Bumblebee crouched to circle a light touch around her shoulders, the brunette leaning fondly into it. 

Stingray whooped, earning a tolerant pat on the head from the towering Autobot. 

 


End file.
